25 per cent of Congress budget for Sonia's tour
George Iype in New Delhi
The Congress will spend nearly one-fourth of its poll expenditure -- Rs 300 million -- on star campaigner Sonia Gandhi's ongoing election tour across the country.
Congress sources disclosed today that her election campaign will cost the party approximately Rs 70 million.
Sonia has already addressed nearly 35 meetings in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. In the next two weeks, her campaign schedule will be north India intensive. She is expected to address more than 50 public meetings in the Hindi heartland.
The Congress, which is bearing the entire cost of Sonia's tour,
has engaged a private aircraft to fly her to different parts of
the country.
Due to an acute funds crunch, party sources said Sonia is being
flown in a small aircraft that runs at a fuel cost of Rs 15,000
to Rs 25,000 per hour.
A senior Congress leader said this year's poll expenditure is a 'pittance' compared to the whopping amount spent on previous election campaigns, especially the 1996 and 1991 polls. During these elections, the Congress spent approximately Rs 1.50 billion.
He said the party is distributing between Rs 200,000 and Rs 500,000 each among its candidates, even though the Election Commission's upper limit on a candidate is Rs 1.4 million.
The Congress has also booked 100 mini tempo vans which have been painted with its symbol and Sonia's images.
Sources said the Congress will spend Rs 50 million on posters and Rs 40 million on advertisements in print and television.
Meanwhile, several Congress leaders have demanded that Sonia address meetings in their constituencies.
While the party's electoral allies like Ajit Singh's Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party want Sonia to vigorously campaign in western Uttar Pradesh, the seven Congress candidates are fighting for her presence in Delhi.
''We have requested Soniaji to address all the seven constituencies in Delhi. But we are waiting for a clearance from 10, Janpath,'' Delhi party president Choudhary Prem
Singh told Rediff On The NeT.
Sonia, who is scheduled to campaign in Delhi from February 13,
has agreed to address rallies in the New Delhi, South Delhi and
Outer Delhi constituencies. Congress candidates R K Dhawan, Ajay Maken and Deep Chand Sharma have been fielded in these constituencies against BJP candidates Jagmohan, Sushma Swaraj and K L Sharma respectively.
But Sonia is unlikely to address rallies for her nominee and
associate Shiela Dixit, the party's East Delhi candidate. The
Special Protection Group has so far been unable to find a secure ground in the crowded constituency.
EARLIER REPORT:
Empty coffers threaten Sonia's campaign
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